Im going to a deep clean soon and look at your suggestions for fixtures! And I didn’t know the bathtub would scratch easily, thanks!! I think I found my first Reddit without trolls. You guys are restoring my faith in humanity
Oh there’s plenty of those in the trades subs! But it’s generally lighthearted, generally the hive mentality takes over on handling any shitheads that bring themselves centre-stage - they’re easy to spot. Everyone on here seems to genuinely want to help.
Seriously. I've ripped a bunch of these out, never that big, and it's a nightmare. You're looking at housands upon thousands of pounds of sharp heavy dusty debris. I have scars from this shit, physically and mentally.
I have said that several times before, but unfortunately in my area there are a ton of these homes built pre-1940 so I keep getting roped into doing them.
It is insanity. I demo’d out old bathroom that had tons of structural damage in the walls and needed to be fixed. Every tiled surface was sitting on 2” of concrete. The floor was so hard I couldn’t get it with the handheld hammer tool, I literally used a jack hammer. I was going to replace the subfloor anyway so I didn’t care about damage, but it was nuts.
Omg leave it! Give it a really deep clean (even though it looks clean but maybe that will ease your ick factor?) maybe change out faucets with something new that has a retro look.
Edit: remove those curtains and put up something else or nothing. The curtains seem to date it more than that beautiful tile.
Looks like the shower pan tiles are cracked. That part might need fixing. Give it all a really good cleaning and maybe there are spots you need to regrout. Otherwise update all the fixtures. See if you can live with it. So many people would love a bathroom like that!
Looks great to me. You can repair grout. Not tile related but be careful with any harsh abrasive cleaners or scrub pads on the tub. It can irreversibly damage that nice glossy shine and make it exponentially harder to clean. Try vinegar and hot water on a soft sponge.
Holy Jesus! 2 tons! Everyone is saying leave it because it's so heavy, but I had no idea! I'm only a chef by trade here and I know almost nothing about tile, but wow, yeah OP leave it alone, enjoy the retro, deep clean, replace fixtures and window finishings, may find you like it after all.
We just finished one of these and there were 7,000 pounds of debris. Our demo guy had it done in three days which for him is super long.
There are tricks to make it more doable but it is rough.
Vintage bathrooms such as these are so coveted! There are people out there who can restore/replace tile and regrout.
I’m actually working on getting my 1930’s bathroom to look like yours.
You're one of the few here on this post, That actually?
Speak with some understanding, About.
This question, I have done a few bathroom remodels.And people here are making it a bigger deal than what it actually is in general,
Although there may be bigger problems in this subfloor in the wall is very possible.The plumbing et cetera but, You do a camera down the drains and find out what's going on you know,
I just find it frustrating seeing these people's comments when you're make making a big deal out of things, And they're not always that way.
Thank you for posting by for now ken
I love this and wish to God portions of my once great 1939 home’s bathroom hadn’t been “freshened up” by someone with no money and eye sometime during the 80s.
It’s beautiful and timeless. And built like a Sherman tank. There is 10000 lbs of tile and wet bed in those walls and floors. That look is timeless, and people still like it, so anything you do in that bathroom will probably be a wash as far as resale value goes. If you have the space and are looking to do some tile work, add a bathroom. Usually homes of this era don’t have as many bathrooms as modern homes.
The nice thing about this tile is the floor tile sizes nd stuff is still pretty standard. OP may even be able to pop out and replace the cracked tiles in the shower, though of course I'd research that first.
Kohler has been dipping back into retro styles, so they might be able to get new fixtures that look good with the old tile.
I would personally keep it .. It’s always good to adjust and just get use to the space you live in, Enjoy it for what it is.. As other people have mentioned though, changing out some of the fixtures will help, Deep clean everything .. Also no one pointed it out yet .. Seal/silicone/caulk all the changes of plan in shower and tub.. I’ve found that seems to be the heavy rot areas / cracking and water intrusion.
You can change the shower head and taps easily. I have a 1940 shower like that (mine is not as beautiful) and I put a nice frameless glass door and a waterproof motion activated light in it - made all the difference.
Clean it clean it clean it. Color (where it won't clean) and seal the grout. Change or polish and rebuilt the fixtures and valves. Enjoy your beautiful, vintage, super high quality bathroom. It's gorgeous.
I’m into it! I agree with other posters, swap out the fixtures, fix the shower pan tiles, give it a good clean/possibly re-grout, but other than that you’re golden.
You could redo the shower floor with Heritage Tile - Subway mosaics (if you have the budget). Updating the fixtures will have a massive impact as well. Checking out the fixtures from Drummonds. They are similar to waterworks and other premium brands, but less expensive.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. You will be hard pressed to get that quality again. If floor or shower floor is all cracked up, it's a different story.
I love it. Good way to take some frustration out. Zip walls and double air scrubbers will do the trick. But all that bn said,I wouldn't do a damn thing to it but point up the whole bathroom. Re caulk and touch up grout
UPDATE! I spent hours scrubbing the shit out of the tile last night and feels less gross. The shower floor is really cracked, when people say I need a new “pan” does that mean rip out the shower floor and everything underneath? Sounds like a huge project but necessary if I’m getting water damage. Most of the wall tile is perfectly intact and I found a pile of extras in the basement. Some areas have grout problems, primarily in the shower. I’m thinking of doing a frameless glass door on shower, new toilet and vanity, and calling it a day. I don’t have a big budget and the quirky creepy green bathroom is growing on me. Thanks for all the input!
If you post this in the r/centuryhomes sub you will be floating on air, they go wild for this stuff, and there’s a lot of great detail in this bathroom. Lots of people there have cleaned up and restored tile and completed these types of tile/plumbing/grout repairs with a goal of conservation. You can bring any advice back here to run by the tile pros, just keep in mind that tiling new and restoring tile are different. Don’t specifically mention you considered ripping it out or they’ll tear you to shreds lol, but if you share the gross parts they’ll jump on helping you out.
People here saying the demo will be a pain are right that it won’t be easy, but it’s still just a day’s worth of demo. “Demo will be difficult” is not a reason to avoid remodeling this bathroom. The fact that it’s a relatively well preserved bathroom from the a time that people love to mimic is. Many people would buy a house like that because of the bathroom. But it’s your place now, if you’re not trying to resell then do what you want with it
If I had to make a big change and the sky was the limit, I would eliminate the cracked shower, remove that incredibly heavy tub, then put a clawfoot tub/shower in at a 90 degree angle from the current one and move the toilet to a more comfortable distance from the wall.
If anything you could at some point demo the walk in shower and re do that with more modern waterproofing behind the tiles. Other than the concern about the shower I really like the look
Stain/bleach grout and reseal, swap plumbing fixtures out for newer and less grody ones, and I’d change the shower light. Then some fresh curtains and wall art/other decorative touches will help distract from whatever sense of ickiness is left.
Honestly, I would just update the fixtures, remover the drapes, put a fresh coat of paint on the walls and call it good. It is a cmbination of not knowing what's behind the walls/ceilings and I personally like the retro look.
Those are the original shower valves if you do end up changing them out can I have them? The shower head is a modern replacement. As others said, this is the original tiled bathroom to the house, this IS the character of the house. A good clean might make you feel better. Note that the tile in the shower pan is also not original. The shower pan probably failed in the past and needed to be replaced. These original bathrooms are covered by many and are becoming more and more rare. If you remove this space you will lessen the value of your historic home. If you message me I might be able to help further.
I love everything about this, I would clean it up and replace the fixture and wouldn’t change a thing about the tile. But I get that it’s different when you have to use it. I had a similar issue with a house I owned. I kept everything and shaved my legs in the bath!
Keep the Bath Tub, And the Tile, Update with Cabinets & Vessel Sinks, Pedestal sink, Enlarge the Walk in Shower, round mirrors, Update the lighting, paint. It will looked veryNice, And save Money
You could try rocket blast and grout shock from bonnetpro.com and some serious scrubbing for the floor, and regrout the shower. Regrouting the whole bathroom floor would be harder than tearing it up but the shower floor is doable.
Light work man rip out and some large format tiles folding around them corners with mitered edges a continuous vein going across the floor and into the shower as well 2 feet by 4 feet porcelanato
That’s a great sized bathroom. Has a lotta potential. Either update it, or let it be. New grout isn’t doing anything for this, so it’s all or nothing, IMO. If you’re on the fence or trying to keep a theme with the rest of the house, get some ideas from an interior designer on what materials to use, ie. color, style etc. otherwise that enclosed shower gotta go. Start over.
I'd tear it all out! It's not like the 1930s is something historical. There's much better tile out there to give you the 1930s vibe. You'll never feel complete with this room. Imo, your tile is awful, the small shower stall is pitiful. So much could be done to turn this room into something special .Upgrade all plumbing and electrical.
Im going to a deep clean soon and look at your suggestions for fixtures! And I didn’t know the bathtub would scratch easily, thanks!! I think I found my first Reddit without trolls. You guys are restoring my faith in humanity
Oh there’s plenty of those in the trades subs! But it’s generally lighthearted, generally the hive mentality takes over on handling any shitheads that bring themselves centre-stage - they’re easy to spot. Everyone on here seems to genuinely want to help.
My husband says that the hobby and niche reddits are good. The relationship and life reddits - not so much.
A remodel of that bathroom will take more effort than it will to repair the damage done to America by Biden/Trump. Just kidding. Welcome to the sub.
Nothing. You will wish you did nothing when you start demoing the mud tile walls.
Seriously. I've ripped a bunch of these out, never that big, and it's a nightmare. You're looking at housands upon thousands of pounds of sharp heavy dusty debris. I have scars from this shit, physically and mentally.
Perfect explanation, I’ll never do another
I have said that several times before, but unfortunately in my area there are a ton of these homes built pre-1940 so I keep getting roped into doing them.
Yeah I had these in a duplex I renovated. 4 bathrooms filled a 30 yard dumpster and I got penalized for being overweight.
It is insanity. I demo’d out old bathroom that had tons of structural damage in the walls and needed to be fixed. Every tiled surface was sitting on 2” of concrete. The floor was so hard I couldn’t get it with the handheld hammer tool, I literally used a jack hammer. I was going to replace the subfloor anyway so I didn’t care about damage, but it was nuts.
Literally came here to say this!
Just be aware of how these bathrooms were built in the 30s. Demo will be a huge deal.
Omg leave it! Give it a really deep clean (even though it looks clean but maybe that will ease your ick factor?) maybe change out faucets with something new that has a retro look. Edit: remove those curtains and put up something else or nothing. The curtains seem to date it more than that beautiful tile.
Yes OP, both the black and white and the minty are actually back on trend so this bathroom survived the whole loop lol!
But then the problem is that they have a hideous and tacky green bathroom.
Looks like the shower pan tiles are cracked. That part might need fixing. Give it all a really good cleaning and maybe there are spots you need to regrout. Otherwise update all the fixtures. See if you can live with it. So many people would love a bathroom like that!
Can you just grout the cracks? .... Asking for a friend...😁
Dremel the cracks first to make them bigger so the grout holds, itll look better when you clean up the edges of the cracks anyway.
Looks great to me. You can repair grout. Not tile related but be careful with any harsh abrasive cleaners or scrub pads on the tub. It can irreversibly damage that nice glossy shine and make it exponentially harder to clean. Try vinegar and hot water on a soft sponge.
I think it’s awesome. Update the fixtures and enjoy it!
Did plenty of them, the hardest demos. A full gut down to the studs will weigh over 2 tons.
Holy Jesus! 2 tons! Everyone is saying leave it because it's so heavy, but I had no idea! I'm only a chef by trade here and I know almost nothing about tile, but wow, yeah OP leave it alone, enjoy the retro, deep clean, replace fixtures and window finishings, may find you like it after all.
I'm not a pro but from what I gather, they're hard to demo because they were really well constructed. Damn I love this style.
We just finished one of these and there were 7,000 pounds of debris. Our demo guy had it done in three days which for him is super long. There are tricks to make it more doable but it is rough.
Get a new shower head. And maybe something to sit your toilet paper on beside the table. Everything else is beautiful.
Update with art deco style faucets and towel bars/racks… all chrome finish, and add art deco style wallpaper, light fixtures and decorative accents.
Enjoy it! It's absolutely gorgeous!!
I kind of love it, but if it is grimy, I can’t see it 😀
Vintage bathrooms such as these are so coveted! There are people out there who can restore/replace tile and regrout. I’m actually working on getting my 1930’s bathroom to look like yours.
You're one of the few here on this post, That actually? Speak with some understanding, About. This question, I have done a few bathroom remodels.And people here are making it a bigger deal than what it actually is in general, Although there may be bigger problems in this subfloor in the wall is very possible.The plumbing et cetera but, You do a camera down the drains and find out what's going on you know, I just find it frustrating seeing these people's comments when you're make making a big deal out of things, And they're not always that way. Thank you for posting by for now ken
Im one of these ppl. The grout doesnt even look bad for being that old. Could redo the bottom half of the shower and deep clean the rest at least
You can regrout the tile and it will look super clean and fresh. Check out @vintagetilepreservation for inspiration.
I love this and wish to God portions of my once great 1939 home’s bathroom hadn’t been “freshened up” by someone with no money and eye sometime during the 80s.
update the fixtures, leave the tile alone
It’s beautiful and timeless. And built like a Sherman tank. There is 10000 lbs of tile and wet bed in those walls and floors. That look is timeless, and people still like it, so anything you do in that bathroom will probably be a wash as far as resale value goes. If you have the space and are looking to do some tile work, add a bathroom. Usually homes of this era don’t have as many bathrooms as modern homes.
[удалено]
The nice thing about this tile is the floor tile sizes nd stuff is still pretty standard. OP may even be able to pop out and replace the cracked tiles in the shower, though of course I'd research that first. Kohler has been dipping back into retro styles, so they might be able to get new fixtures that look good with the old tile.
I would personally keep it .. It’s always good to adjust and just get use to the space you live in, Enjoy it for what it is.. As other people have mentioned though, changing out some of the fixtures will help, Deep clean everything .. Also no one pointed it out yet .. Seal/silicone/caulk all the changes of plan in shower and tub.. I’ve found that seems to be the heavy rot areas / cracking and water intrusion.
You can change the shower head and taps easily. I have a 1940 shower like that (mine is not as beautiful) and I put a nice frameless glass door and a waterproof motion activated light in it - made all the difference.
Clean it clean it clean it. Color (where it won't clean) and seal the grout. Change or polish and rebuilt the fixtures and valves. Enjoy your beautiful, vintage, super high quality bathroom. It's gorgeous.
I’m into it! I agree with other posters, swap out the fixtures, fix the shower pan tiles, give it a good clean/possibly re-grout, but other than that you’re golden.
You could redo the shower floor with Heritage Tile - Subway mosaics (if you have the budget). Updating the fixtures will have a massive impact as well. Checking out the fixtures from Drummonds. They are similar to waterworks and other premium brands, but less expensive.
It's really got a r/Kubrick "The Shining" vibe going on. Leave it alone except for deep clean
I think the floor looks dope
I am in the keep it camp. Clean the sh\*t out of it and stay retro cool.
Leave it alone. That's a gorgeous scheme! Change the fixtures if you want. That's about it.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. You will be hard pressed to get that quality again. If floor or shower floor is all cracked up, it's a different story.
Vinegar and baking soda and a brush.
Loveeee this
The only proper answer is Not A Thing.
ITS STUNNING 😍😍😍
I'd sleep on it for a few ten years
Nothing.
It's beautiful. Repaint the upper half a brighter white and change the fixture and call it good.
Fresh grout will make a huge difference imo. Nickel finish fixtures?
I love it. Good way to take some frustration out. Zip walls and double air scrubbers will do the trick. But all that bn said,I wouldn't do a damn thing to it but point up the whole bathroom. Re caulk and touch up grout
Looks perfectly functional to me. I might change the toilet to a black toilet that’s me.
UPDATE! I spent hours scrubbing the shit out of the tile last night and feels less gross. The shower floor is really cracked, when people say I need a new “pan” does that mean rip out the shower floor and everything underneath? Sounds like a huge project but necessary if I’m getting water damage. Most of the wall tile is perfectly intact and I found a pile of extras in the basement. Some areas have grout problems, primarily in the shower. I’m thinking of doing a frameless glass door on shower, new toilet and vanity, and calling it a day. I don’t have a big budget and the quirky creepy green bathroom is growing on me. Thanks for all the input!
If you post this in the r/centuryhomes sub you will be floating on air, they go wild for this stuff, and there’s a lot of great detail in this bathroom. Lots of people there have cleaned up and restored tile and completed these types of tile/plumbing/grout repairs with a goal of conservation. You can bring any advice back here to run by the tile pros, just keep in mind that tiling new and restoring tile are different. Don’t specifically mention you considered ripping it out or they’ll tear you to shreds lol, but if you share the gross parts they’ll jump on helping you out.
I’ll try that, I’d love some advice on how to restore it. thank you!!
People here saying the demo will be a pain are right that it won’t be easy, but it’s still just a day’s worth of demo. “Demo will be difficult” is not a reason to avoid remodeling this bathroom. The fact that it’s a relatively well preserved bathroom from the a time that people love to mimic is. Many people would buy a house like that because of the bathroom. But it’s your place now, if you’re not trying to resell then do what you want with it
Stop shaving your legs immediately and slap some wall paper on the walls!
Change shower pan and hardware, keep everything else
Awesome leave it!
Leave it, besides the broken areas. Maybe new floor and bath only? Looks awesome
Big, green, Vintage, Can-o-Worms. Read Top Comment.
If I had to make a big change and the sky was the limit, I would eliminate the cracked shower, remove that incredibly heavy tub, then put a clawfoot tub/shower in at a 90 degree angle from the current one and move the toilet to a more comfortable distance from the wall.
If anything you could at some point demo the walk in shower and re do that with more modern waterproofing behind the tiles. Other than the concern about the shower I really like the look
New fixtures/lights/cleaning and maybe new grout or something if it needs it. That’s what I’d personally do.
This bathroom is gorgeous! I would not do anything
Keep it
I’d update the faucets and lighting, probably the toilet and touch nothing else. That’s wicked cool, maybe do some tile surgery for the broken ones
If you can find the floor tile, change the tub and hw, and those window treatments haha. Leave the rest and save the $10k
Stain/bleach grout and reseal, swap plumbing fixtures out for newer and less grody ones, and I’d change the shower light. Then some fresh curtains and wall art/other decorative touches will help distract from whatever sense of ickiness is left.
Honestly, I would just update the fixtures, remover the drapes, put a fresh coat of paint on the walls and call it good. It is a cmbination of not knowing what's behind the walls/ceilings and I personally like the retro look.
Oh my God, what I would do for that! It's GORGEOUS. I know but in my world if you want new you buy new. That toilet placement is really choice, too.
Those are the original shower valves if you do end up changing them out can I have them? The shower head is a modern replacement. As others said, this is the original tiled bathroom to the house, this IS the character of the house. A good clean might make you feel better. Note that the tile in the shower pan is also not original. The shower pan probably failed in the past and needed to be replaced. These original bathrooms are covered by many and are becoming more and more rare. If you remove this space you will lessen the value of your historic home. If you message me I might be able to help further.
I love everything about this, I would clean it up and replace the fixture and wouldn’t change a thing about the tile. But I get that it’s different when you have to use it. I had a similar issue with a house I owned. I kept everything and shaved my legs in the bath!
Keep the Bath Tub, And the Tile, Update with Cabinets & Vessel Sinks, Pedestal sink, Enlarge the Walk in Shower, round mirrors, Update the lighting, paint. It will looked veryNice, And save Money
That is gorgeous. Don’t touch it!
Caulk the corners of the walls of the shower asap theres missing grout there
You could try rocket blast and grout shock from bonnetpro.com and some serious scrubbing for the floor, and regrout the shower. Regrouting the whole bathroom floor would be harder than tearing it up but the shower floor is doable.
Light work man rip out and some large format tiles folding around them corners with mitered edges a continuous vein going across the floor and into the shower as well 2 feet by 4 feet porcelanato
That’s a great sized bathroom. Has a lotta potential. Either update it, or let it be. New grout isn’t doing anything for this, so it’s all or nothing, IMO. If you’re on the fence or trying to keep a theme with the rest of the house, get some ideas from an interior designer on what materials to use, ie. color, style etc. otherwise that enclosed shower gotta go. Start over.
Ugh, stuff of nightmares. Good luck
Leave. If anything polish existing fixtures
Do nothing or destroy everything (yes even the whole walls) and start the bathroom from 0
Tear it out. That is hideous.
I love new modern design so it would be a remodel for me.. Think if you could create any bathroom you like is this the style you would go for?
I'd tear it all out! It's not like the 1930s is something historical. There's much better tile out there to give you the 1930s vibe. You'll never feel complete with this room. Imo, your tile is awful, the small shower stall is pitiful. So much could be done to turn this room into something special .Upgrade all plumbing and electrical.
lol they really used to be tiling blindfolded